The problem with most dog toys (and what we look for).

The dog toy aisle is one of the least-regulated categories in pet retail. Unlike food, where there are labelling laws, and unlike collars, where there are at least trade standards, dog toys are governed mostly by market norms. What this means in practice: a plush toy sold in a premium pet boutique and a plush toy sold at a discount chain are often made in the same factories, from the same fabrics, with the same squeakers. The price difference is usually branding.

This wouldn't matter much, except that dog toys routinely fail in ways that harm dogs — ingested stuffing, choking squeakers, dyes that leach. The fact that you bought the £18 version instead of the £5 version does not necessarily make the toy safer.

Here's what we've learned to look for, and what to avoid.